


The Infected Castle

by catradorawriterstan



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Battle, Cute, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Internal Conflict, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:55:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28228758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catradorawriterstan/pseuds/catradorawriterstan
Summary: This story is about when Catra and Adora get trapped in a First Ones ruin with uniquely dangerous and manipulative security systems... Lots of romance and cute stuff, enjoy!
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Entrapta/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Kudos: 26





	The Infected Castle

“Ugh. This stupid cave gives me the creeps!” Glimmer groaned, as she held aloft an orb of light and walked through the long, dark passageway. Glimmer’s voice echoed around the tunnel, amplifying.  
“Could you maybe not yell? We have to find the horde. We’ve been tracking them for days. We can’t give up the element of surprise,” Adora reminded Glimmer. Glimmer rolled her eyes.  
“Glimmer is right. This place gives me a bad feeling,” Bow added, glancing around and shrinking back, his expression wavering.   
“Well, bad feeling or not, Catra is here. And we have to find her. She’s probably after all this First Ones tech,” Adora muttered, lowering her sword slightly and looking at the hard, crystalline floor. We can’t let them get away again. They’ve hurt too many people. I can’t let them hurt anymore, Adora reminded herself.  
“Hey. It’s okay. We’ll catch them this time,” Bow comforted her, bumping his shoulder against hers. Adora smiled slightly, looking down.  
“Yeah! We’ll catch them. We have to,” Adora reassured herself, looking up. She glanced down the end of the tunnel, where a faint light bloomed, casting rays into the shadowy passageway. A light? She held up her hand to halt Bow and Glimmer and slowly advanced.  
An archway opened up into a large room that towered over their heads, even with Adora’s added height from She-ra, who could finally stop hunching from the cramped passageway. She could see other levels, branching out from the main room. A large staircase stood in the center of the chamber, branching out into the various raised platforms.  
Lights were coming from glowing crystals embedded in the brightly colored walls. Adora surveyed the room, her eyes making their way through the shadows. The room was damaged, with cracks and missing supports lining the walls.  
A slow clap sounded from one of the upper platforms. Adora’s eyes widened, and she gripped the sword as tightly as she could, swinging around wildly. Catra emerged from an upper platform, the level above them, smirking, as usual, with a new black jacket donned. No, no, this couldn’t be happening. Not again. How is she always two steps ahead of us? Adora thought, her jaw clenching.  
“Hey, Adora. Nice job. Thanks to Sparkles, here, we heard you from a mile away. Not that it mattered. How does it feel to be such a failure?” Catra asked. Glimmer growled, and Adora took a step back. We can still win this. It’s not over yet, She thought. “It’s over.”  
“You won’t win this time!” Adora yelled, wielding her sword. A fire burned in her chest, driving her forward.  
“Oh, Adora. Such a self-righteous hero. God, I missed this. We’ve been setting this trap for days. We noticed you were following us from the moment you started. It was hard not to, honestly. We only came here for First Ones tech, but hey, dragging you and your little rebellion friends back to Bright Moon will be fun too! Entrapta! Bring out the bots!” Catra called, glancing at her claws.  
Entrapta emerged from the Shadows, followed by Scorpia, and a whole lot of bots. Catra’s smile turned into a grimace, and she launched herself at Adora, growling.   
Catra hit the floor hard, sliding on her claws as Adora moved out of the way just in time. She launched herself at Adora again, grabbing onto the sword, scrabbling at it. Adora concentrated and sent a pulse of magical energy through the sword and into Catra. The railings of the stairs cracked as Catra flew into them.  
Adora raced after her, and Catra danced backwards up the stairs, taunting Adora silently. The steps of the staircase flew underneath Adora’s feet as she moved up the stairs. Nothing was going to distract her from Catra.  
But out of the corner of her eye, she couldn’t help but see what was going on below. Bow shot a net arrow at Scorpia, pinning her to the wall and leaving her struggling to get out. Glimmer blasted the bots with magic, to several explosions. Adora forced herself to turn away, and focused in on Catra, slowly advancing.  
“Not too worried about your friends, are you? I hope not. Maybe the power of friendship will save them!” Catra ridiculed, smirking. Adora flared her nostrils, hard. A bolt of worry went through her chest and her thoughts re-routed to her friends. I have to save them! She couldn’t help thinking. Remember, Adora, they can handle themselves. They’re fine.   
“Just give up, Catra!” Adora yelled, brandishing her sword.  
“Why would I give up when I’m winning?” Catra asked, cocking her head to the side. Adora widened her eyes, too late. Catra launched herself at Adora, grabbing her, and raked her claws down Adora’s cheek, hard. “Failing as always, Adora.” Adora’s breath stuck itself in her throat, refusing to move.   
Catra threw herself effortlessly off of Adora’s back, sending Adora stumbling forward. Catra turned and darted forward, shoving Adora as hard as she could into the wall of the chamber. Adora groaned, and Catra smirked.   
“Gah!” Adora cried out as Catra dug her claws into her shoulder, and pushed Catra away from her, into the air, sending her flying through the chamber. Catra skidded and landed on her feet perfectly, as always.  
“Maybe you’re not as useless as I gave you credit for, Adora.”  
Adora struggled to get up, even her She-ra form hurt.  
“Get away from her!” Glimmer screamed, holding out her hands. She squeezed her eyes shut, focusing, and screamed again as a massive blast of magic soared towards Catra. Catra dove and rolled out of the way, and the blast of magic hit a pillar.  
“No!” Adora shouted as the pillar shattered, breaking into far, far too many little pieces. A deep, earthly rumble coarse through the room, shaking it. They were far too deep into this mountain, and Glimmer collapsed.  
Pieces of the chamber began to fall from the ceiling, their iridescent, crystalline surfaces shooting past Catra and Adora and smashing into pieces on the floor far below.  
“Entrapta! Ride the bots and get out with the First Ones tech! Scorpia! Follow her!” Catra ordered before turning back to Adora. Adora slid into a battle stance, grimacing.  
“But what about you, wildcat?” Scorpia called from the distance, causing Catra’s face to redden. Adora snorted.  
“I’ll be fine! The only thing that’s important is the First Ones tech!” Catra spit back, sparing hardly a glance. Adora smirked through her pain, moving forward shakily, her breathing ragged.  
“‘Wildcat’, huh? This is so embarrassing for you,” She goaded.  
“Shut up!” Catra replied, lunging at Adora. She grabbed onto her, and they grappled for a brief moment. Their faces were inches apart, and Catra’s hot breath brushed against Adora’s face.  
“Adora! Get off of her, Catra!” Glimmer screamed from the level below, sparkles beginning to gather around her. Adora scanned the room, looking for Bow. He stood up shakily, clutching his side.  
“Stop! You’ll run out of teleports! You need to get Bow out of here! You don’t have enough teleports! Go!” Adora yelled back as Catra pressed her into the floor. Glimmer hesitated, looking between Bow and Adora, but finally grabbing Bow and teleporting them away.  
“How simply noble of you. Sacrificing yourself to save your friends! Looks like they abandoned you. I don’t imagine it was a tough decision,” Catra taunted her, smiling all the while. Adora stared Catra right in the eyes.  
“Please, Catra. We might be able to survive if you’ll just let me up! Please!” Adora begged, her eyes beginning to wetten as the room around them collapsed in on itself. Catra looked at her for a moment, then looked away. Please, Catra, Please, Adora thought to herself.  
“Well, how can I say no to that? You’re Adora, after all. Everyone just adores you,” Catra grumbled, springing off of her. Adora let out a long breath, her cheeks flushed. Catra crossed her arms and looked away.  
Adora rose, her back still stinging from the scratches, and grabbed Catra’s hand, leading her towards one of the hallways branching away. She pulled, but Catra stayed still, staring at their hands. Catra looked into Adora’s eyes, and Adora was frozen in place for a moment, and a feeling rose in her chest, warm and soft. A perfect moment. Then Catra looked away.  
“What makes you think I’m going with you?” Catra demanded, scoffing. Adora rolled her eyes.   
“Because, I don’t know, you want to fucking live?” Adora asked. Catra stared at her for a long moment, and that feeling returned, warmer and softer than ever. What is this feeling? She wondered.   
“Fine.” Adora grabbed her hand again and pulled her down one of the dark hallways. Adora yanked her away just as a large piece of pillar smashed through right where Catra had been standing, grazing Catra’s side, causing her to cry out.  
They ducked into one of the darkened passages, and a control panel stuck out of the wall. Adora’s eyes widened. I can read it! Of course, I can, it’s in First Ones writing. Why am I surprised? Adora contemplated. This wasn’t the first time she had forgotten she could read First Ones writing, and it wouldn’t be the last.   
“These are commands!” Adora said out loud. Doors… Lights… Security… Adora wasn’t sure what security meant, and given the last time she and Catra had encountered First Ones security, she decided to ignore it. She pushed the part that said ‘Lights’. Lights illuminated the passageway smoothly, and she could see it stretched on for some time.  
“You get more freaky every day…” Catra trailed off, looking around.  
“It’s just technology! You have that in the Horde, don’t you?”  
“Geez, Adora. Upset much? It’s just that when you do it, it’s freaky.”  
“Ugh. Just be quiet!” The stings on Adora’s back were bothering her, only adding to her storm of frustration. She pushed the section that read ‘Doors’. Catra yelped, her fur standing up on end as the entry to the main chamber closed off, shutting them in.  
“Scared of a little magic?” Adora smirked. Okay, it wasn’t magic, but Catra didn’t need to know that. Catra growled.   
“No! It just… surprised me, that’s all.”  
“Riiiight.”  
“Ugh. Anyway, how are we getting out of here now?”  
“I… don’t know. But Light Hope has been teaching me about different First Ones ruins. And I’m sure we can find a way out. We just need to keep moving.” They both looked at the shut door behind them, and the long, light-filled passageway ahead. Adora offered Catra her hand. Catra swatted it away and started walking. Adora grinned and rushed to catch up to her, their feet clanking against the floor. Curiosity sparked, and her mind wandered to what was ahead. Who knew?

“So,” Adora started, glancing over at Catra. Catra didn’t react. She stumbled over a loose piece of the crystalline floor, and Adora winced as Catra’s face contorted in pain, grabbing her injured leg.  
“So?” Catra asked in response. Catra continued looking ahead.  
“You’re limping. That pillar grazed you. Are you okay?” Adora asked, moving closer to Catra. Catra rolled her eyes.  
“I’m fine. What about you? Some falling chunks hit you, too,” Catra said. The pieces of the ceiling had hit her too? Adora realized. Between She-ra form and the adrenaline, it escaped her mind.  
“Huh. I had no idea. I’m in She-ra form, so injures don’t affect me as badly. But stop deflecting. Are you okay?”  
“I wonder what this weird place is, anyway. Do you have any idea what this place was?” Adora sighed.  
“Catra… ugh. I guess I should be glad you haven’t attacked me though. Yet.” Adora laughed to herself.  
“Yeah, you’re lucky I haven’t. Because I’d beat you.”  
“What? No, you wouldn’t!”  
“That’s funny, because I was winning before the room collapsed in on itself.” Adora mock gasped, putting her hands on her hips.  
“Ex-cuse me?” They both laughed, Adora leaning over, and Catra throwing her head back. Their eyes lingered on each other for a long moment. Not long enough. Catra stopped abruptly, crossing her arms and looking away, with her tail lashing, but Adora tasted sweet victory.  
“So, what happens to you when you, you know, stop being She-ra? Not that I care.” Catra was looking away, but Adora could see a spark of concern in her eye.  
“Well, some of the injuries transfer over. Some don’t. I don’t control which and have no idea which will. Some are transferred over, and just become less intense.” Adora shrugged. Catra’s feet glued themselves to the ground.  
“Wait. So… how many injuries have I..” Catra’s face paled. Did she care?  
“Some. It’s fine. I can handle it.” Catra snorted. They walked in silence for a few, long moments. “Look! I think there’s a room up ahead!”  
“Finally. We’ve been walking forever.”   
The room up ahead was much larger than the hallway but paled in comparison to the room from which they had come. It was round, with a depressed center lined with benches. Writing and a large, multi-colored mural lined the walls. Adora could see information crystals linked together, carved into the walls.   
“This place feels familiar… maybe Light Hope has told me about this place…” Adora murmured, running her fingers over the wall. Her eyes focused on the runes in the wall, reading them. Her eyes widened. “Wait. I know what this place is. No, no, no. This is not good.”  
“What? What is it? Spit it out, Adora!” Catra said, her fur puffed up.  
“Oh! I can’t take you seriously when you look like that!” Catra huffed and looked away, blushing furiously. “I’m glad I could be distracted by that for a second. It turns out… this First Ones ruin is The Ruin of Knowledge. It used to be an important logistical site for the First Ones, filled with classified information and data, secret initiatives, and powerful weapons. And they added a security system, obviously. But because the First Ones were… unusual, they added a horrifying security system if any of their systems were compromised… including the physical structure. Which we breached. Because of course, we did!”  
“But we already breached the physical structure a couple minutes ago, and nothing happened! Obviously, the security system just degraded over time! You’re freaking out over nothing, as usual, Adora.” Adora threw her head back and laughed, her laugh souring even before it left her mouth. We’re going to die. And it’s all my fault. “Adora?”  
“Let me explain the security system to you quickly, Catra. This place has some run of the mill security. Remember those spiders from the crystal castle? Yeah, stuff like that. But the real kicker? This place sends out a frequency that slowly messes with your head. It makes you unhappy, rageful, and impulsive. And eventually, it destroys you from the inside out. Great! And I got us into this.” Adora burst out laughing.  
“What? Please, Adora, tell me there’s another way out!” Catra begged, grabbing onto Adora’s shoulders and shaking her. Adora laughed.   
“Yeah, we’ll be fiiiiiine,” Adora slurred, grinning. Catra stepped back.  
“Adora? Are you drunk?”  
“No! But we’re going to die! And it’s all my fault! I can’t believe this!” Adora dragged her fingers down her cheeks, pulling at her face. She squeezed her eyes shut. Why am I so useless?  
“Wow, you really blame yourself for everything, huh, Adora?”  
“I do not!”  
“Yeah. Yeah, you do. You’ll blame yourself for everything and then give up and run away like you always do.”  
“Catra… I’m sorry. I never wanted to leave you… I just couldn’t stay in the horde.” Catra looked deep into Adora’s eyes for a moment and stepped forward. Then she scoffed and looked away.  
“Whatever. We need to think of a plan. I refuse to die here with you. Is there another way out of here? There has to be.”  
“Wait. This mural, it’s a map.” Adora strode over to the mural, studying it. She traced her fingers over it and the First Ones writing, focusing. “You are here.” Her fingers landed on a point midway from the left side of the map to the center.   
“Wait, we’re that close to the exit? Let’s go!” Adora shook her head.  
“No. We came from the left side of the map. We’re going to have to travel all the way to the right side of the map, where the backdoor is.” Catra slumped and sighed.  
“And how long, exactly, do we have before we start going cuckoo?”  
“I’m not sure but Light Hope said it takes about an hour before the brunt of the effects hit us. So… about an hour.”  
“Great. We better move fast, then.”  
“Wait. Catra, we have to treat our wounds. We need to be battle-ready, in case we run into something.” Catra rolled her eyes.   
“Fine. But I’m guessing you’re not going to treat your injuries?”  
“I’m fine. I’m in She-ra form.”  
“Whatever. It’s not like I care, anyway.” Adora’s mouth opened into a small smile. Maybe Catra does still care.  
“Alright. Now hand me that jacket. I need to use it as bandages.” Adora put out her hand.  
Catra drew back. “What? No! This is Fright Zone contraband! Do you have any idea how many people I had to scare to get this?”  
“Catra. We need this jacket to help seal your wounds. And it looks pretty soft and comfortable. Perfect for bandages.”  
“Ugh. Can’t you use your freaky She-ra powers to heal me or something? They have to be good for something.” Adora winced. A painful reminder of her lack of control.  
“I… don’t know how to do that. Yet.”  
“Figures you wouldn’t know how to do the one useful thing your powers give you!” Adora looked away. Memories rose of all the times healing powers could have saved people or helped people… all the times they could have protected her friends. Catra rubbed her arm, leaning away from Adora as the silence stretched between them.  
“Do you… do you have any sort of anti-infection ointment or cream?” Adora started the conversation again, trying to distract from the growing storm in her head.  
“No. But I do have one thing I could do. You would find it really gross.”  
“Really? What is it?” Catra hesitated.  
“I can… lick the wound.” Adora shuddered.  
“Ugh! That is gross.”  
“I can do it, but you have to drop out of She-ra form. I don’t want to do it in front of She-ra. That’s weird.” Adora caught the breath in the back of her throat.   
“But what if we run into something? I have to be battle-ready!” And I have to protect you. First Ones, Catra can’t see my injuries. What if they’re bad?   
“Why are you always so persistently annoying? You see, this, this is the reason you’re so easy to beat. You can’t think. You can just turn right back into She-ra as soon as we run across something!” Adora’s heart lay in two different places. If it meant Catra would accept medical help, it was worth it. But Adora would have to acknowledge her own injuries- and be vulnerable. She had to be the protector. But…  
“Fine.” Adora dropped out of She-ra form and gasped as her injuries hit her, a raging river washing against her. She stumbled, her hand grabbing the wall. The cuts   
“Adora!” Catra reached forward, her eyes widening, before quickly drawing back and looking away.  
“I’m okay. I’m okay.”  
“It’s not like I care.” Catra scoffed, but Adora saw the tensing of her muscles, and hair standing up on the tip of her tail.  
“Ok. Are you going to wash your wounds now?” Adora couldn’t help smiling, imagining what was about to happen. Catra blushed.   
“Fine, but you have to turn away.”  
‘What? Then what was the point of leaving She-ra form?”  
“It was weird, okay? Now turn around, or I’ll make you!” Adora lifted her hands in mock surrender.   
“Whatever, Catra” Adora turned around slowly but winced when she aggravated some of the cuts in her back. She heard the sound of what she assumed to be Catra’s tongue against her fur and repressed a giggle. It was hard to imagine Catra doing something so… embarrassing.  
“Okay, you can turn around now.” Adora turned again and immediately noticed some spit on Catra’s wounds. Catra wouldn’t meet her eyes, still blushing. “I’ll tear the jacket into strips.” Catra took the jacket and tore it with a satisfying RIP! She tore it into the long strips and handed them to Adora.  
Adora began winding them around Catra’s injuries, pressing them in to soak the blood. She flinched as she saw the extent of the hurt. If I had gotten us out quicker, Catra would be fine. This is all my fault. She reached for another strip, but Catra reached out and stopped her, looking into her eyes. Adora’s face brightened, and that warm feeling returned once again, now a well-known guest.  
“Keep half for your injuries.”  
“It’s fine, I can just go back into She-ra form.”  
“You don’t know what She-ra form could do to you, in this place. It could speed up the process. Plus, being She-ra the whole time is weird. I… I prefer you, Adora.” Catra looked away and reddened.  
“You do?” Adora’s heart lightened, and she pressed a hand to her chest. Catra preferred her!  
“Ugh. Why do you always make everything so sentimental? It’s not a big deal!” Adora nodded.  
“Yeah! Yeah. Totally. Not a big deal. Got it.” Catra rolled her eyes and grabbed the strips. The strips pressed into her back and other injuries as Catra gingerly applied them, binding the pieces of the jacket around the wounds. Adora couldn’t breathe, her whole mind focusing on the touch of Catra on her back. She finally drew away, done with her work. “Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome. Now let’s get a move on.” Catra got up and looked down a long hallway opposite from where they came. She strode along with it, not waiting for Adora. Adora struggled up but smiled as they both moved towards what they desperately hoped was the exit.

A range of time had passed, and Adora and Catra stuck themselves in silence. Adora glanced at Catra, feeling a pull. Maybe I should say something. What would I say? ‘ So how’s the horde been treating you?’. Adora sifted through her brain for a few moments.  
“So how’s the horde been treating you?” Adora asked.  
“Great. Amazing. It’s been tons of fun, in fact!” Catra answered.  
“That’s good to hear,” Adora said. One of Catra’s ears flicked.  
“How has the rebellion been?” Catra replied.  
“Good, actually. I’ve met all the other princesses, and it’s really… fun.” Memories alighted Adora’s mind, but she noticed Catra looking away. “But it would be some much better with you.” Catra perked up, eyes widening, before snorting and looking away yet again.  
Suddenly, a pain started in Adora’s heart, and she clutched her chest. I can’t even make one of my best friends join my side! I need to protect them, but I can’t. The pain faded, but Adora remained clutching her chest.  
“Are you okay, Adora? If you’re going to slow me down, I want to know in advance,” Catra said, looking in Adora’s direction. The tone was flat, but her tail twitched slightly.  
“I think this place is starting to affect me. It started messing with my head.” Adora looked down at her hands, to find them shaking.   
“We better start moving faster, then.” Adora looked at Catra. Maybe Catra was starting to care, just a little. “I mean, so I don’t get affected too.” Catra grabbed her tail and continued walking.   
“You like me, don’t you?” Adora asked Catra. The muscles in Catra’s shoulder tensed, and Catra froze. Adora moved closer until she was only a foot away. “Why won’t you just admit it?”   
“Adora, stop! Just stop! You left me, okay? You. Left. Me. You abandoned me. How am I supposed to get over that? It’s not fair!” Catra yelled at Adora, her face tightening into a growl.  
“Is that how you really feel?” Adora’s heart grew heavier, sinking to the floor. Maybe those thoughts were right. I can’t get Catra back. Catra drew back, her face widening.  
“Wait, Adora-” An earth-shattering screech cut her off. “What was that?”  
“The security system! Get behind me.” Adora raised her sword over her head. “For the honor of Grayskull!” Adora turned into She-ra, her skin alight with the power. Catra made a point of stepping in front of Adora, her claws out and ready.  
Mechanical spiders came into view, racing down the corridor on their robotic legs. Their legs creaked as their eyes glowed red. Adora shuddered.  
“Wow. The First Ones really had a thing for spiders, apparently.” Adora didn’t so much as smile, though a remark like that would have drawn a laugh from her another time.  
Catra leaped forward, tackling one of the spiders just as they neared. She sunk her claws deep into its eyes, hissing. Adora swung her sword, smashing into one of the spiders. She yelled, raising her sword and sent it slamming through the spider’s head.   
She turned, whirling towards a second spider. She gripped her sword and lunged. The spider moved out of the way, and she lunged again. The spider sent out a mess of sticky web. A large portion of it stuck on the sword, and the spider yanked, ripping the sword from Adora’s hands.  
Adora raced forward, punching the bot. The spider threw itself at her, and Adora threw her hands up, her feet bracing into the ground. A loud CRUNCH sound filled her ears, and she opened her eyes.   
Catra was on top of the bot, her fist through what looked to be some pretty integral wiring. All three spider-bots were broken, lying dead on the floor. Adora grinned and retrieved her sword from the sticky mess.  
“Ew. How does this stuff still work, after a thousand years? And thank you, Catra. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Catra slid off the giant spider bot as if she took those down on the daily.  
“You’re right. You couldn’t have. And you’re welcome. You know, you can leave She-ra form. The bots are gone.”  
“I thought you didn’t like me?” Catra blushed and looked away, holding the back of her head.  
“Well, I prefer you to She-ra. And a lot of the stuff I said was this weird place messing with my head. By the horde, I hate this magic-tech stuff.” Adora grinned. “But I’m not apologizing!” Adora dropped out of She-ra form and staggered again. Catra didn’t hide the concern that appeared on her face.  
“Okay, Catra.” Baby steps, Adora. Baby steps, Adora reminded herself. “Come on. I don’t want this place messing with my head any longer.” Catra’s face relaxed, and she started walking.  
They walked for a bit and found themselves talking. The horde dominated their conversation, reminiscing and complaining simultaneously. But Adora found herself talking of Brightmoon, and Catra didn’t interrupt or start being rude again. Not even once.  
A silence came over them as they finally reached the halfway point. It was a cavernous room. It wasn’t a point of connecting hallways, like where they had their first fight. Several hallways did branch off of it, but that wasn’t the intended purpose.  
A large crystal sculpture rose in the center, jagged and multi-colored. The only thing it looked remotely like was… a crystal. A crystal made of crystal. Well, the First Ones weren’t going to be remembered for their originality, that was for sure.   
Splayed around the crystal were dozens of tables with seats surrounding them. Benches were carved into the wall, with murals or runes hanging above them. A few buffet-style tables caught Adora’s eye. This was… a cafeteria. Or some sort of communal chamber, Adora realized.  
“Wow, this place is weird,” Catra spoke up from behind her.  
“It’s interesting, actually. This is where the First Ones would come and eat. Huh,” Adora replied, studying the room.  
“You figured that out on your own? You’re not as dumb as I give you credit for,” Catra joked, smiling.   
“Let’s go check it out!” Adora decided, charging down a set of stairs into the eating area.  
“Adora! You can’t just go investigate!” Adora spun around, and the warm, soft feeling returned in her chest at Catra’s tight expression.  
“Why not? You don’t want me to leave you?” Adora grinned and continued hopping down the stairs. The grin widened even more at Catra’s noise of indignation.  
“What? No! I don’t need you! I’m not scared!”  
“Well, you couldn’t catch me, anyway!” Adora raced down the stairs, her feet flying faster and faster until she skidded down into the landing.   
“That was a baaaad idea, Adora. I’m way faster than you.” Adora looked backed to see Catra leaping down the stairs. Adora laughed and ran even faster, passing all the tables.  
The warm feeling grew in her heart, pushing out, flooding out of her. Adora ducked behind one of the buffets just as Catra grabbed her wrist. An idea appeared in her head, and she grabbed some of the food stored inside. She grabbed a big chunk and launched it at Catra. Catra sputtered and stepped back, desperately wiping the food off, and Adora couldn’t stop laughing. “Did you just throw one thousand-year-old First Ones’ food at me?”  
“Maybe?” A smile shone through Adora’s face, and Catra grinned. Catra sunk her claws into a chunk of food and pitched it at Adora’s face. The sloppy mess slid over Adora’s face, and she tried not to open her mouth in shock.  
“Payback.” Catra threw another chunk of food at Adora’s eyes, and as Adora was desperately rubbing her eyes, she heard the sound of Catra’s feet moving away from her. The chunks finally cleared from her eyes, and she looked around. Catra was nowhere to be found.  
“Come out, come out wherever you are, Catra…” Adora grinned, dropping into a battle stance. Her eyes scanned the environment, seeing Catra just as she leaped at Adora from above, smashing food into her face. They both crashed to the floor, laughing.  
Catra was on top of Adora, her hair mussed. A smile glowed on Catra’s face, her features softening. That warm, soft feeling rose again in Adora’s chest as their eyes met. They slowly leaned together, their lips closer and closer. Perfection, through and through. Then a mix of emotions, sadness and regret and self-resentment blasted through Adora’s chest, and she pushed Catra off and sat up, gasping.  
Her thoughts swirled, driving her down, down, down. I’m such a failure. I need to save everybody, but I can’t even save myself. No wonder Catra is still in the Horde. The feelings slowly retreated, but theirs whispers persisted. Adora glanced over at Catra, whose features were also twisted up, her hands grabbing onto her forehead. Adora reached for Catra, but Catra shoved her hands away.   
“Get away from me. I know you’re just dying to leave me.” Catra curled up on herself, tail wrapping around her feet. A thorn stuck itself through Adora’s heart, and she stayed put.  
“I’m not, Catra. I’m not going to leave you.” The words were soft enough that even Adora had trouble hearing them, but Catra perked up, her eyes widening.  
“I… maybe… whatever. This place is in my head. Let’s check the map again and move out.” Tension lingered in Adora’s chest, but hope did as well. Maybe Catra could change, Adora thought as Catra walked towards a mess of runes that was, in fact, the map. She hopped up and walked over.  
The runes seemed to be a little damaged, and Adora squinted. Wait. Was that..? Security System Control Room, the rune read. And it was on their way out. A smile broke out on Adora’s face.  
She put her finger on the rune. “There. That’s the Security System Control Room. And it’s on our way out. If we stop there, we can shut down the thing that’s been messing with our emotions.”  
“It can’t be that easy.”  
“It looks like… it is. I can’t believe it, but it really is that easy.” Adora turned and began marching up the stairway to the hallway. Her shoulders were loose, and her thoughts lingered on the exit. Sweet, fresh air, safety, and who knew, maybe even a new member of the rebellion. Adora glanced back at Catra, who couldn’t quite meet Adora’s eyes, and smiled. Catra looked away and blushed. “Come on, I’m pretty sure you don’t want to spend more time here than necessary.”

“You know, Adora, that food fight was… kind of fun. Before the whole ‘First Ones tech messing with our heads thing’.” Catra’s voice shook just a little, and she fiddled with her tail.   
“Yeah… it was. I wish it had gone on for longer.” The memory of their faces so close together surfaced, and Adora blushed, realizing what she had suggested.  
“Me too. When this place, you know, invaded your head, what was it like?” Adora winced. The emotions and thoughts had struck deeply… thinking about it hurt.  
“I kept thinking about how I was a failure, that I abandoned people, and that I couldn’t protect anyone…” And how it was my fault you stayed in the Horde, Adora finished in her head. Catra just nodded, still fiddling with her tail. “What was it like for you?”  
“I’ll kill you if you tell anyone this, you hear me? I’ll murder you. But I felt… scared. And lonely. I felt abandoned. And it brought up memories…” There was more left unsaid, but Catra’s face was coated with pain, and Adora reached out, grabbing her shoulder. Catra didn’t shake her off.  
“You don’t have to talk more if you don’t want to.” Adora stared Catra right in the eyes. Catra looked up at her.  
“Adora…” A strong pull forced Adora to keep looking into Catra’s eyes. She couldn’t stop. Adora’s heart sped up.  
SCREECH! Adora heard, looking down the hallway. Spiders came into view just seconds after the sound. Catra unsheathed her claws and growled.  
“I thought we got rid of them!” Adora complained.  
“Ugh. Of course, there has to be more in this stupid, creepy ruin!” Adora raised her sword over her head, and her lips parted, but she stopped, looking at the Spiders moving towards them. Their eyes were glowing red, and they looked… infected. Red vines crawled all over them, pulsing and glowing.  
It all made sense. This place… the signals it was putting out were from the virus Adora had encountered in Dryl! And these bots had been infected, possibly from when the last major signal had gone out. That was why the place messed with their head! It was infecting them!  
Suddenly, a pulse of emotions invaded them again. It was the strongest yet, invading Adora, drilling deep into her. Anger and hate started to boil. At Catra, the horde, and… herself. One of the spider bots reared and lunged, and she just barely moved out of its way.  
Her head was spinning, and a sob built in her throat. I can’t protect anyone… I should just give in… I’m useless without She-ra anyway… She locked eyes with Catra, whose fur was up on end and was glaring at Adora. The pulse hadn’t receded for Adora, and it seemed Catra was affected as well.  
“What the hell are you waiting for? Turn into She-ra already! It’s the only thing you’re good at anyway. Besides leaving,” Catra shouted from on the other side of the bots.  
“I can’t! If I attack with She-ra, these bots will infect me. Don’t you remember what happened in the Northern Reach? I’m useless!” Adora replied, water washing over her eyes. One of the spider bots lunged for her again, and she managed to skid past them, towards Catra, despite her weak muscles.  
I’m so useless! I can’t protect anyone, not even now! I’ve failed. We’re going to die, and it will be all my fault, Adora thought. But she looked over at Catra, who was dodging the bots, still furious. She was leading the bots away from Adora. She was protecting Adora, despite her hate and fury. I can do this. These are just thoughts. I am not useless. I have not failed. And I choose to protect Catra.   
Adora flew up, her feet sliding over the smooth floor as the pulse receded. The pulse wasn’t gone, but Adora knew she had won. For now, at least. She smashed her side into one of the bots, making sure her sword didn’t touch it. Catra looked at Adora, wide-eyed.  
“What are you doing Adora?” She asked.  
“I’m saving you! One of us needs to turn off the security measures, now! We can’t survive another pulse! Go! I’ll hold off the bots!” Adora yelled. They both leaped out of one of the bots' way, and Catra grabbed onto Adora’s hands, looking her in the eye.  
“No. You go. You’re defenseless. Shut off the security system. I’ll be fine. Now, go!” Catra shoved Adora away and launched herself onto one of the bots. Her claws ripped at the thing’s eyes, and it emitted a long screech of protest.  
“No, I can’t leave you again! Please, Catra! I have to save you! I have to!” Catra shook her head as she slid off one of the spider bots, turning to face the others.  
“You don’t have to save me, Adora. Just come back, please. Go!” Adora stood for a moment, silent, before turning and racing down the corridor, her fists bunched and her eyes squeezed tightly enough to stop the tears.  
Her feet pounded against the crystal as she passed by intricately made runes and carvings. I have to get to the security room in time. I will, Adora thought. It wasn’t a question. Her thoughts wandered to Catra, and she pushed herself harder, flying down the hallway.  
A glimpse of what she hoped was the security room filled her vision, and she would have screamed in joy if her lungs had not been empty of air. Finally. Finally, she was here.  
She stumbled into the room, trying to slow her momentum. She scanned the runes on the wall, tracing them with her fingers. They were slightly disfigured, and she squinted. Read faster, Adora. Catra’s life is in danger. You have to read faster! She chided herself.  
But just as the runes deciphered, falling easily into comprehension, another pulse went through her. It was a tsunami, an inescapable wave. A cry escaped her battered lungs, and she fell to the floor.  
Every emotion, every time she had failed, or someone close to her had been hurt, and every time she slipped up rushed through her head. Her head ached at the never-ending torrent. It was a message, clear, and easy to read. She was a failure. She had endangered her friends, endangered innocent people, innocent lives.  
She would never be a good She-ra. She would become like Mara, a cautionary tale. She couldn’t stop the Horde, couldn’t protect against them. But…  
What about all the lives she had saved? And for all those failures, all of them were times she had tried. And her friends may have gotten hurt, but she wasn’t trying to hurt them. More importantly, she cared about them. She might make mistakes far too often, and rarely make a sound plan, but she tried. And she cared. And wasn’t that the most important thing? To care? To try in the face of failure?  
She rose and looked at the runes again. They fell before her, like dominoes. She grabbed onto the power crystal for the primary and secondary security system and pulled. Her weakened muscles cried out, but she pulled. And then- it broke free.   
She dropped to the floor, gasping as the pulse fully left her. A weight lifted from her shoulders, and she stood up. Again. Relief washed over her, wave after wave. It wasn’t a tsunami, like the emotions before, but gentle, tropical lapping. Adora smiled.  
Catra. The thought pierced through the entirety of her mind, pulling her out of the relief. Her muscles no longer suffered the strain of the virus, but they shook. A smile returned to her face as Adora glanced at her sword.  
“For the honor of Grayskull!” Adora shouted, raising her sword to the sky. Strength rushed into her, soothing her tired muscles. She was unstoppable. She strode, her strides long and quick, to Catra.  
When she arrived, the bots were limp on the ground, the energy powering them gone. Catra lay against the wall, clutching her side. When Adora came into view, Catra’s ears perked and she smiled weakly.  
“Hey, Adora… You came back,” Catra said.  
“Hey, Catra,” Adora responded. She picked up Catra, paying attention not to aggravate her injuries, and cradled her in her arms. Her chin lifted, and she walked. On and on. Out of the ruin, out of the mountain. She raised her sword and called for Swiftwind.   
To Swiftwind’s credit, he didn’t spend the whole ride peppering her with questions about Catra. Only about 90%. They landed in Brightmoon, and Adora paraded Catra to the healer’s chamber. Many tried to question her, but she stopped them with a glare.  
When Catra was finally with the healer, Adora dropped out of She-ra form and collapsed on a nearby bench. Bow and Glimmer rushed to her, full of questions, but Adora answered only vaguely, her thoughts elsewhere.  
She paced back and forth when her strength returned, thinking only of Catra. Was Catra okay? Would she die? Would it be Adora’s fault? The healer finally emerged and waved Adora in. Adora so much as raced in, and looked for Catra frantically. Some of the tension in Adora’s chest released when she saw Catra smiling, propped up against a pile of cushions.  
“It’s you? I assumed it would be palace guards coming to interrogate me or something. Maybe this place is a little less uptight and stiffy than I thought,” Catra joked. Adora walked over and plopped down next to her, breath fully returning to her lungs, finally.  
“I’d beat them up if they didn’t let me talk to you. I’m She-ra, so they had to break just a few castle protocols for me,” Adora joked right back, cupping Catra’s cheek with her hand. That warm, soft feeling grew, expanding, and expanding.  
“Adora… there’s something I need to tell you. Before the bots, I was going to tell you…” Catra drew a breath in, squeezing her eyes shut. “...That I love you. I love you, Adora.” The words were quiet, but they filled Adora completely.   
“I love you too,” Adora admitted, pressing her forehead to Catra’s. Catra looked up, her ears flattened against her head. Their lips pressed together, and bliss settled over Adora. It was perfect. And this moment was theirs. All theirs. They drew apart, and Catra looked Adora right in the eyes.  
“Don’t leave, Adora.”  
“I won’t.”


End file.
